How to Burst a Balloon

It's incredibly easy to burst a balloon.

There are many different ways to burst a balloon. Blowing a balloon up past its standard capacity will cause it to burst. Filling a balloon to capacity and then puncturing it with a sharp object such as a pin, knife or sewing needle will also make a balloon burst. You can even stick a penny or dime into an unfilled balloon, blow it up and swing it clockwise for a few minutes, causing the balloon to burst. When a balloon is filled to capacity, its polymer chains are stretched as far as they can be stretched. Piercing one of those chains will cause it to break, resulting in a popped balloon.

Things You'll Need

• Balloon
• Sewing needle, push pin or t-pin

Instructions

1. Blow up a regular balloon until it forms a large oval shape. Pinch the balloon just above the hole that you blew air into to inflate the balloon.

2. Pull the loose end of the balloon toward you and tie a simple knot around your index finger to keep the air from escaping out of the balloon.

3. Hold the balloon by the knot you just made in one hand. Grasp a sewing needle, t-pin or push pin in your other hand. Gently press the needle or pin against the surface of the balloon and watch it burst.

References

• Balloon HQ: How Do Balloons Pop?